Awards Watch - Mickey Rourke Lands Spirit Award Nomination

04 December 2008

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Mickey Rourke's movie comeback seems to be complete as he finds himself nominated for a Spirit Award for Best Actor for his role in The Wrestler, the film is also up for Best Picture.

The drama won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year, a highlight of the lack lustre festival, is already gathering support on the run up to the Oscars and the film, as well as Rourke himself, is expected to be fighting it out in the big categories come February.

But Rourke as some tough competition in the Best Actor category as he is nominated alongside other Oscar favourite Sean Penn as well as Javier Bardem, Richard Jenkins and Jeremy Renner.

Frozen River was the toast of the Gotham Independent Awards this week and it has had further success as it notched up six nominations, including Best Feature and Best Actress for Melissa Leo's performance.

Anne Hathaway's family drama Rachel Getting Married was also top of the pile with six nominations, including recognition for the actress which sees her stake a claim as a serious actress.

British film Hunger, directed by Steve McQueen, which follows Bobby Sands, the IRA radical who spearheaded the Irish prison-strikes of 1981.

The Spirit Awards is one of the most prestigious awards that recognises independent filmmaking and the awards are handed out the evening before the Oscars. Last year's big winner was coming of age drama Juno, which went on to be nominated for Best Picture, Actress and Director and winning best Original Screenplay at the Oscars.

Best Feature

Rachel Getting Married

The Wrestler

Wendy and Lucy

Ballast

Frozen River

Best Director

Tom McCarthy

Jonathan Demme

Courtney Hunt

Ramin Bahrani

Lance Hammer

Best First Feature

Afterschool

Medicine for Melancholy

Synecdoche New York

Sleep Dealer

Snagre De Mi Sangre

Best Screenplay

Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Woody Allen

Sugar - Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck

Synecdoche New York - Charlie Kaufman

Savage Grace - Howard A. Rodman

Sangre De Mi Sangre - Christopher Zalla

Best Female Lead

Summer Bishil - Towelhead

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married

Melissa Leo - Frozen River

Tarra Riggs - Ballast

Michelle Williams - Wendy and Lucy

Best Male Lead

Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Richard Jenkins - The Visitor

Sean Penn - Milk

Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Best Supporting Female

Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Rosemarie DeWitt - Rachel Getting Married

Rosie Perez - The Take

Misty Upham - Frozen River

Debra Winger - Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Male

James Franco - Milk

Anthony Mackie - The Hurt Locker

Charlie McDermott - Frozen River

JimMyron Ross - Ballast

Haaz Sleiman - The Visitor

Best Foreign Film

The Class

Gomorra

Secret of the Grain

Hunger